document_title: Tesla Autopilot

question_text: when was the first self driving tesla made

text: Tesla Autopilot

text: History[edit]

text: Autopilot was first offered on October 9, 2014, for Tesla Model S, followed by the Model X upon its release.[4] Autopilot was included within a "Tech Package" option. At that time Autopilot features included semi-autonomous drive and parking capabilities.[5][6][7] Initial versions of Autopilot were developed in partnership with the Israeli company Mobileye.[8] Tesla and Mobileye ended their partnership in July 2016.[9][10]

text: In October 2015, Tesla released Autopilot version 7.0 to its customers.[11] In December 2015, Tesla announced that it will remove some self-driving features to discourage customers from engaging in risky behavior. Autopilot Firmware 7.1 made those changes and includes remote parking technology known as Summon that can park and can bring the car to the driver without the driver in the car.[12][13][14]

text: On August 31, 2016, Elon Musk announced Autopilot 8.0, that processes radar signals to create a coarse point cloud similar to Lidar to help navigate in low visibility conditions, and even to 'see' in front of the car ahead.[15][16] Autopilot, as of version 8, uses radar as the primary sensor instead of the camera.[17] In November 2016, Autopilot 8.0 was updated to have a more noticeable signal to the driver that it is engaged and it requires drivers to touch the steering wheel more frequently, otherwise Autopilot will turn off.[18][19] By November 2016, Autopilot had operated actively on hardware version 1 vehicles for 300 million miles (500 million km) and 1.3 billion miles (2 billion km) in shadow mode.[20]

text: As of October 2016, Tesla said all vehicles come with the necessary sensing and computing hardware, known as Hardware version 2 (HW2), for future fully autonomous operation (SAE Level 5), with software being made available as it matures.[21] The company offers various free/extra-cost options for enabling Autopilot-associated features/services. Autopilot on hardware version 1 cars is available for US$2,500 ($3,000 after delivery). For HW2 cars, Autopilot is available as "Enhanced Autopilot" for $5,000 ($6,000 after delivery) and future full self-driving capability is an additional $3,000 ($4,000 after delivery).[22]

text: The first release of Autopilot for HW2 cars was in February 2017. It included adaptive cruise control, autosteer that was enabled on divided highways, autosteer on 'local roads’ up to a speed of 35 mph or a specified number of mph over the local speed limit.[23] Firmware version 8.1 for HW2 began in June 2017 that has many new features including a new Autopilot driving-assist algorithm, full-speed braking and handling parallel and perpendicular parking.[24]

text: On April 28, 2017, Elon Musk predicted that in around two years drivers would be able to sleep in their Tesla until it finishes the trip.[25]

text: In the middle of 2017, Tesla planned to demonstrate full self-driving by the end of 2017.[26][27] In February 2018, Tesla indicates the demonstration of a self driving coast to coast drive will be ready in three to six months.[3]

text: Hardware[edit]

text: Hardware 1[edit]

text: Vehicles manufactured after late September 2014 are equipped with a camera mounted at the top of the windshield, forward looking radar (supplied by Bosch)[28][29] in the lower grille and ultrasonic acoustic location sensors in the front and rear bumpers that provide a 360-degree view around the car. The computer is the Mobileye EyeQ3.[30] This equipment allows Model S to detect road signs, lane markings, obstacles, and other vehicles. Upgrading from Hardware 1 to Hardware 2 is not offered as it would require substantial work and cost.[31]

text: Hardware 2[edit]

text: Hardware 2, included in all vehicles manufactured after October 2016, includes an Nvidia Drive PX 2[32] GPU for CUDA based GPGPU computation.[33][34] Tesla claimed that Hardware 2 provided the necessary equipment to allow full self-driving capability at SAE Level 5. The hardware includes 8 surround cameras and 12 ultrasonic sensors, in addition to forward-facing radar with enhanced processing capabilities.[21] The Autopilot computer is replaceable to allow for future upgrades.[35] The radar is claimed to be able to observe beneath and ahead of the vehicle in front of the Tesla; the radar can see vehicles through heavy rain, fog or dust.[36]

text:
Hardware specifications

Hardware
2014 Autopilot
Hardware 1
2016 Enhanced Autopilot/Full Self-Driving Capability[37]
Hardware 2

Radar
Unknown range
160 m (525 ft)

Forward Cameras
1 monochrome with unknown range
Trifocal camera:

Narrow: 250 m (820 ft)
Main: 150 m (490 ft)
Wide: 60 m (195 ft)

Forward Looking Side Cameras
N/A

Left: 80 m (260 ft)
Right: 80 m (260 ft)

Rearward Looking Side Cameras
N/A

Left: 100 m (330 ft)
Right: 100 m (330 ft)

Rear View Camera
For human use, not for automation use
50 m (165 ft)

Sonars
12 surrounding with 5 m (16 ft) range
12 surrounding with 8 m (26 ft) range

Platform
MobilEye EyeQ3[38]
NVIDIA DRIVE PX 2 AI computing platform[39]

text:
Function specifications (pending incremental updates and regulatory approvals)

Functions
2014 Autopilot
Hardware 1

2016 Enhanced Autopilot/Full Self-Driving Capability
Hardware 2

Hands-on feature with limited Hands-Free On-Ramp to Off-Ramp for limited-access roads
Yes, except when driver wants to change lane.[40]
Yes[41]

TACC-Traffic-Aware Cruise Control (Smart/Adaptive Cruise Control)
Yes[42]
Yes[41]

Max speed
90 mph (145 km/h)[43]
90 mph (145 km/h)[44]

Autosteer
Yes[42]
Yes, and in the future: tighter, more complex roads[45]

Auto Lane Change
Driver initiates the lane changing signal when the traffic is safe (due to ultrasonic 16 foot limited range capability) then the system does the rest.[46]
In future: Automatically done all by itself for a faster lane and without driver's judgement nor input.[47]

Highway Interchanges
In future: Yes[48]
In future: Yes[47]

Autopark: Parallel and Perpendicular Parking
Yes[42]
Yes[49]

Summon (remote automatic car retrieval, including automatic garage door opening and closing)
Yes[50]
Yes[49]

Lane Departure Warning
Yes[51]
Yes[52]

Full Self-Driving Capability
Not designed to be driverless[42]
In future: Yes, with an additional fee. The Tesla car will be able to drive itself, automatically recharge at "cable bot"-equipped Superchargers and can use Parking Seek to find a parking space all without a driver.[49]

text: Hardware 2.5[edit]

text: An updated Hardware version referred to as 'HW 2.5' (also known as '2.1') was released in July 2017, with cars built from August 2017 containing the updated hardware set. In HW 2.5 there is a secondary node (without a GPU) to provide more computing power and wiring redundancy which is to slightly improve reliability.[53][54]

text: Driving features[edit]

text: Tesla requires operators to monitor the vehicle at all times, just as the Federal Aviation Administration requires pilots to monitor aircraft on autopilot. Autopilot includes multiple capabilities, including adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.

text: Software updates[edit]

text: Autopilot-enabled cars receive Autopilot software updates wirelessly, the same as all other Tesla software updates.

text: Adaptive cruise control[edit]

text: Autopilot has the ability to follow another car, maintaining a safe distance from it as it speeds up and slows down. It can observe a second vehicle in front of the vehicle that it is following. It also slows on tight curves and when a car crosses the road in front of it. It can be enabled at any speed above 17 mph. By default, it sets the limit at the current speed limit plus/minus any driver-specified offset.

text: Alerts[edit]

text: Autopilot alerts the driver under various circumstances, such as a surprising situation on the road or excessive inattention by the driver. If the driver dismisses three audio warnings within an hour, Autopilot is disabled until the car is parked. This is to prevent experienced drivers from excessive reliance on built-in safety features. At speeds under 8 mph on divided highways, Autopilot functions indefinitely without the driver's hands on the wheel. Under 45 mph free hands are allowed for five minutes, unless the car detects lateral acceleration. Above 45 mph free hands are allowed for three minutes if following another vehicle or one minute without following a car.[36]

text: Autopark/Summon[edit]

text: Autopark drives the car into a parking spot, while Summon drives it out. Configuration settings control maximum distance, side clearance and bumper clearance. This feature activates Homelink to open and close garage doors and it is available using the fob or the Tesla mobile app.[55] As of March 2017, Summon was available in "beta" for HW2. Controls include bumper, side clearance and summon distance.[56]

text: Autosteer[edit]

text: Autosteer steers the car to remain in whatever lane it is in (known as lane-keeping). With HW1, it is also able to safely change lanes as directed by a tap of the turn signal.[57] As of May 2017, HW2 is limited to 90 mph (145 km/h) on highway roads and the former 35 mph (56 km/h) speed limit on non-highway roads was removed, instead limiting to five over the speed limit or 45 mph (72 km/h) if no speed limit is detected.[58]

text: Safety features[edit]

text: The Autopilot can detect a potential front or side collision with another vehicle, bicycle or pedestrian within a distance of 525 feet (160 m), if one is found it sounds a warning.[59] Autopilot has automatic emergency braking that detects objects that may hit the car and applies the brakes. Autopilot also can automatically adjust the high/low beam headlights as the nighttime lighting changes.

text: Speed assist[edit]

text: Front-facing cameras detect speed limit signs and display the current limit on the dashboard or center display. Limits are compared against GPS data if no signs are present.[59]

text: Public debate[edit]

text: Some industry experts have raised questions about the legal status of autonomous driving in the U.S. and whether Tesla owners would violate current state regulations when using the Autopilot function. The few states that have passed laws allowing autonomous cars on the road, limit their use for testing purposes; not for use by the general public. Also, there are questions about the liability for autonomous cars in case there is a mistake.[60] A Tesla spokesman said there is "nothing in our autopilot system that is in conflict with current regulations." "We are not getting rid of the pilot. This is about releasing the driver from tedious tasks so they can focus and provide better input." Google's director of self-driving cars said he does not think there is a regulatory block as long as the self-driving vehicle met crash-test and other safety standards. A spokesman for the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) said that "any autonomous vehicle would need to meet applicable federal motor vehicle safety standards" and the NHTSA "will have the appropriate policies and regulations in place to ensure the safety of this type of vehicles."[60]

text: According to Elon Musk, "We really designed the Model S to be a very sophisticated computer on wheels. Tesla is a software company as much as it is a hardware company. A huge part of what Tesla is, is a Silicon Valley software company. We view this the same as updating your phone or your laptop."[61] Full autonomy is “really a software limitation: The hardware exists to create full autonomy, so it’s really about developing advanced, narrow AI for the car to operate on.“[62][63]

text: The Autopilot development focus is on "increasingly sophisticated neural nets that can operate in reasonably sized computers in the car”.[62][63] According to Musk, "the car will learn over time", including from other cars.[64] Early data after 47 million miles of driving in Autopilot mode shows the probability of an accident is at least 50% lower when using Autopilot.[65] However, Ars Technica notes that the brake system tends to initiate later than some drivers expect.[66] One driver claimed that Tesla's Autopilot failed to brake, resulting in collisions. Tesla pointed out that the driver deactivated the cruise control of the car prior to the crash.[67] Ars Technica also notes that the lane changes are semi-automatic; the driver must activate the turn signal in order for the car to initiate a lane change.[68]

text: Tesla's Autopilot with Hardware version 1 (HW1) can be classified as somewhere between levels 2 and 3 under the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) five levels of vehicle automation. At this level, the car can act autonomously but requires the driver to be prepared to take control at a moment's notice.[69][70] HW1 is suitable only on limited-access highways, and sometimes will fail to detect lane markings and disengage itself. In urban driving the system will not read traffic signals or obey stop signs. This system also does not detect pedestrians or cyclists,[71] and while AP1 detects motorcycles,[72] there has been two instances of AP rear-ending motorcycles.[73]

text: There has been significant controversy over the media response to the fatal Tesla accident described in the below section. Whilst a significant amount of blame was apportioned to Tesla for the failure of its Autopilot system, it must be noted that the system at the time of the accident was in a beta phase and not ready for widespread public use, and also required the driver to ensure that their hands remained on the steering wheel at all times, and to be prepared to resume manual driving at any moment.[74][undue weight? – discuss] Hence, when used as an assistive feature (as intended by Tesla), some hold the view that Autopilot can only enhance road safety,[74] assuming it does not lull the driver into complacent inattention.

text: Autopilot potentially saved the life of a pedestrian in Washington, D.C. on the night of July 17, 2016,[75][76] and played a pivotal role in a medical emergency involving 37-year-old Joshua Neally that same month.[77] Neally was driving his Tesla Model X when he suffered a pulmonary embolism that caused intense panic and rendered him incapable of driving.[78] Neally used Autopilot to drive most of the highway to a local hospital. At the off-ramp, Neally took control of the car and drove to the emergency room.[78]

text: Legal Challenges[edit]

text: Tesla's Autopilot is facing a class action suit that claims the second-generation Enhanced Autopilot system is "dangerously defective."[79]

text: Serious crashes[edit]

text: Handan, China (January 20, 2016)[edit]

text: On January 20, 2016, the driver of a Tesla Model S in Handan, China was killed when their car crashed into a stationary truck.[80] The Tesla was following a car in the far left lane of a multi-lane highway; the car in front moved to the right lane to avoid a truck stopped on the left shoulder, and the Tesla, which the driver's father believes was in Autopilot mode, did not slow before colliding with the stopped truck.[81] According to footage captured by a dashboard camera, the stationary street sweeper on the left side of the expressway partially extended into the far left lane, and the driver did not appear to respond to the unexpected obstacle.[82]

text: In September 2016, the media reported the driver's family had filed a lawsuit in July against the Tesla dealer who sold the car.[83] The family's lawyer stated the suit was intended "to let the public know that self-driving technology has some defects. We are hoping Tesla, when marketing its products, will be more cautious. Don’t just use self-driving as a selling point for young people."[81] Tesla released a statement which said they "have no way of knowing whether or not Autopilot was engaged at the time of the crash" since the car telemetry could not be retrieved remotely due to damage caused by the crash.[81] Telemetry was recorded locally to a SD card and given to Tesla, who decoded it and provided that data to a third party for independent review. Tesla added that "while the third-party appraisal is not yet complete, we have no reason to believe that Autopilot on this vehicle ever functioned other than as designed."[84]

text: Williston, Florida (May 7, 2016)[edit]

text: The first known fatal accident involving a Tesla engaged in Autopilot mode took place in Williston, Florida, on May 7, 2016. The driver was killed in a crash with a 18-wheel tractor-trailer.

text: By late June 2016, the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) opened a formal investigation into the accident, working with the Florida Highway Patrol. According to the NHTSA, preliminary reports indicate the crash occurred when the tractor-trailer made a left turn in front of the Tesla at an intersection on a non-controlled access highway, and the car failed to apply the brakes. The car continued to travel after passing under the truck’s trailer.[85][86][87] The diagnostic log of the Tesla indicated it was traveling at a speed of 74 mi/h (119 km/h) when it collided with and traveled under the trailer, which was not equipped with a side underrun protection system.[88]:12 The underride collision sheared off the Tesla's glasshouse, destroying everything above the beltline, and caused fatal injuries to the driver.[88]:6–7; 13 Approximately nine seconds after colliding with the trailer, the Tesla traveled another 886.5 feet (270.2 m) and came to rest after colliding with two chain-link fences and a utility pole.[88]:7; 12

text: The NHTSA's preliminary evaluation was opened to examine the design and performance of any automated driving systems in use at the time of the crash, which involves a population of an estimated 25,000 Model S cars.[89] On July 8, 2016, the NHTSA requested Tesla Inc. to hand over to the agency detailed information about the design, operation and testing of its Autopilot technology. The agency also requested details of all design changes and updates to Autopilot since its introduction, and Tesla's planned updates scheduled for the next four months.[90]

text: According to Tesla, "neither autopilot nor the driver noticed the white side of the tractor-trailer against a brightly lit sky, so the brake was not applied." The car attempted to drive full speed under the trailer, "with the bottom of the trailer impacting the windshield of the Model S." Tesla also stated that this was Tesla’s first known Autopilot-related death in over 130 million miles (208 million km) driven by its customers while Autopilot was activated. According to Tesla there is a fatality every 94 million miles (150 million km) among all type of vehicles in the U.S.[85][86][91] It is estimated that billions of miles will need to be traveled before Tesla Autopilot can claim to be safer than humans with statistical significance (although fewer than billions of miles will be needed if Tesla Autopilot is more dangerous). Researchers say that Tesla and others need to release more data on the limitations and performance of automated driving systems if self-driving cars are to become safe and understood enough for mass market use.[92][93]

text: The truck's driver told the Associated Press that he could hear a Harry Potter movie playing in the crashed car, and said the car was driving so quickly that "he went so fast through my trailer I didn't see him." "It was still playing when he died and snapped a telephone pole a quarter mile down the road." According to the Florida Highway Patrol, they found in the wreckage an aftermarket portable DVD player. It is not possible to watch videos on the Model S touchscreen display.[87][94] A laptop computer was recovered during the post-crash examination of the wreck, along with an adjustable vehicle laptop mount attached to the front passenger's seat frame. The NHTSA concluded the laptop was probably mounted and the driver may have been distracted at the time of the crash.[88]:17–19; 21

text: In July 2016, the U.S. National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced it had opened a formal investigation into the fatal accident while Autopilot was engaged. The NTSB is an investigative body that only has the power to make policy recommendations. An agency spokesman said, "It's worth taking a look and seeing what we can learn from that event, so that as that automation is more widely introduced we can do it in the safest way possible." The NTSB opens annually about 25 to 30 highway investigations.[95] In September 2017, the NTSB released its report, determining that "the probable cause of the Williston, Florida, crash was the truck driver’s failure to yield the right of way to the car, combined with the car driver’s inattention due to overreliance on vehicle automation, which resulted in the car driver’s lack of reaction to the presence of the truck. Contributing to the car driver’s overreliance on the vehicle automation was its operational design, which permitted his prolonged disengagement from the driving task and his use of the automation in ways inconsistent with guidance and warnings from the manufacturer."[96].

text: In January 2017, the NHTSA Office of Defects Investigations (ODI) released a preliminary evaluation, finding that the driver in the crash had seven seconds to see the truck and identifying no defects in the Autopilot system; the ODI also found that the Tesla car crash rate dropped by 40 percent after Autosteer installation,[97][98] but later also clarified that it did not assess the effectiveness of this technology or whether it was engaged in its crash rate comparison.[99] The NHTSA Special Crash Investigation team published its report in January 2018.[88] According to the report, for the drive leading up to the crash, the driver engaged Autopilot for 37 minutes and 26 seconds, and the system provided 13 "hands not detected" alerts, to which the driver responded after an average delay of 16 seconds.[88]:24 The report concluded "Regardless of the operational status of the Tesla’s ADAS technologies, the driver was still responsible for maintaining ultimate control of the vehicle. All evidence and data gathered concluded that the driver neglected to maintain complete control of the Tesla leading up to the crash."[88]:25

text: Culver City, California (January 22, 2018)[edit]

text: On January 22, 2018, a Tesla Model S crashed into a fire truck parked on the side of the I-405 freeway in Culver City, California while traveling at a speed exceeding 50 mph (80 km/h) and the driver survived.[100] The driver said he was using Autopilot, according to the Culver City Fire Department, which reported the crash over Twitter at approximately 8:30 A.M. The fire truck and a California Highway Patrol vehicle were parked in the left emergency lane and carpool lane of the southbound 405, blocking off the scene of an earlier accident, with emergency lights flashing.[101]

text: Autopilot may not detect stationary vehicles at highway speeds and it cannot detect some objects.[102] Other advanced driver-assistance systems have similar limitations. Raj Rajkumar, who studies autonomous driving systems at Carnegie Mellon University, believes the radars used for Autopilot are designed to detect moving objects, but are "not very good in detecting stationary objects".[103] Both NTSB and NHTSA have dispatched teams to investigate the crash.[104] Hod Lipson, director of Columbia University's Creative Machines Lab, faulted the diffusion of responsibility concept: "If you give the same responsibility to two people, they each will feel safe to drop the ball. Nobody has to be 100%, and that's a dangerous thing."[105]

text: Mountain View, California (March 23, 2018)[edit]

text: On March 23, 2018, a second US Autopilot fatality occurred in Mountain View, California.[106] The crash occurred just before 9:30 A.M. on southbound US 101 at the carpool lane exit for southbound Highway 85, at a concrete barrier where the left-hand offramp separates from 101. After the Model X crashed into the narrow concrete barrier, it was struck again by two following vehicles, and then it caught on fire.[107]

text: Both the NHTSA and NTSB are investigating the March 2018 crash.[108] Another driver of a Model S demonstrated that Autopilot appeared to be confused by the road stripes in April 2018. The gore ahead of the barrier is marked by diverging solid white lines (a vee-shape); the Autosteer feature of the Model S appeared to mistakenly use the left-side white line instead of the right-side white line as the lane marking for the far left lane, which would have led the Model S into the same concrete barrier had the driver not taken control.[109] Ars Technica concluded "that as Autopilot gets better, drivers could become increasingly complacent and pay less and less attention to the road."[110]

text: In a corporate blog post, Tesla noted the impact attenuator separating the offramp from US 101 had been previously crushed and not replaced prior to the Model X crash on March 23.[106][111] The post also stated that Autopilot was engaged at the time of the crash, and the driver's hands had not been detected manipulating the steering wheel for six seconds before the crash. Vehicle data showed the driver had five seconds and 150 metres (490 ft) "unobstructed view of the concrete divider, [...] but the vehicle logs show that no action was taken."[106] The NTSB investigation had been focused on the damaged impact attenuator and the vehicle fire after the collision, but after it was reported the driver had complained about the Autopilot functionality,[112] the NTSB announced it would also investigate "all aspects of this crash including the driver’s previous concerns about the autopilot."[113] A NTSB spokesman stated the organization "is unhappy with the release of investigative information by Tesla".[114] Elon Musk dismissed the criticism, tweeting that NTSB was "an advisory body" and that "Tesla releases critical crash data affecting public safety immediately & always will. To do otherwise would be unsafe."[115]

text: South Jordan, Utah (May 11, 2018)[edit]

text: On May 11, 2018, a Tesla Model S with Autopilot engaged crashed into the rear of a fire truck that was stopped at a red light in South Jordan, Utah. The Tesla was moving at an estimated 60 mi/h (97 km/h) and did not appear to brake or attempt to avoid the impact, according to witnesses.[116] The driver of the Tesla, who survived the impact with a broken foot, admitted she was looking at her phone before the crash.[117]


document_title: The Jacksons: An American Dream

question_text: who played the dad in the jackson 5 movie

root

text: The Jacksons: An American Dream

text: Plot[edit]

text:
The miniseries stars Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs as the Jacksons' patriarch Joseph Jackson, Angela Bassett as the family matriarch Katherine Jackson, Alex Burrall, Jason Weaver and Wylie Draper played Michael Jackson in different eras, while Bumper Robinson and Terrence Howard played Jackie Jackson in different eras, Shakiem Jamar Evans and Angel Vargas played Tito Jackson, Margaret Avery as Katherine's mother Martha Scruse, Holly Robinson Peete as Diana Ross, Billy Dee Williams as Berry Gordy and Vanessa L. Williams as Suzanne de Passe. The opening titles of the film shows footage of the real Jacksons rehearsing, performing on stage, a few clips from the "Can You Feel It" music video, album covers, magazine covers and pictures of the family.
The film is mostly based on the autobiography written by Katherine Jackson, who issued the 1990 autobiography, My Family. Part one of the film was based on how Joseph and Katherine managed to raise their children, first in Gary, Indiana, then later dealing with The Jackson 5's early fame and its consequences. Part two of the film is based on the struggles of young Michael Jackson as he deals with his brothers marrying early into The Jackson 5 success, his problems with acne as a teenager, his eventual solo superstardom based on the success of his albums Off the Wall and Thriller and his legendary Motown 25 performance of "Billie Jean" as well as his difficult relationship with his father.

tag: p

text: Michael Jackson’s voice is heard on:  "Beat It," "Human Nature," "Billie Jean," "I Want You Back," "I Wanna Be Where You Are," "I'll Be There," "Rockin' Robin," "ABC," and "Dancing Machine."   On all other songs, the Michael Jackson vocal part is performed by Anthony Harrell, Jason Weaver or Kipp Lennon.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Lawrence Hilton-Jacobs - Joseph Jackson
Angela Bassett - Katherine Jackson
Holly Robinson Peete - Diana Ross
Margaret Avery - Martha Scruse
Billy Dee Williams - Berry Gordy
Vanessa Williams - Suzanne de Passe
Wylie Draper - Michael Jackson
Abolade David Olatunde - Michael Jackson (baby)
Alex Burrall - Michael Jackson (ages 6–8)
Jason Weaver - Michael Jackson (ages 8–15)
Colin Steele - Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine Jackson II - Jermaine Jackson (ages 10–16)
Terrence Howard - Jackie Jackson
Bumper Robinson - Jackie Jackson (ages 13–17)
Monica Calhoun - Rebbie Jackson
Ebonie Smith - La Toya Jackson
Kelli Martin - La Toya Jackson (ages 8–10)
Angel Vargas - Tito Jackson
Shakiem Jamar Evans - Tito Jackson (ages 11–15)
Maya Nicole Johnson - Janet Jackson
Monica Allison - Hazel Gordy
Robert Redcross - Randy Jackson
Nicolas Phillips - Randy Jackson (age 7-9)
Marcus Maurice - Marlon Jackson
Floyd Myers, Jr. - Marlon Jackson (age 7-9)
Jacen Wilkerson - Marlon Jackson (ages 9–16)

tag: ul

text: Historical inaccuracies[edit]

text: This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2015)

tag: table

text:
The group is shown making a record of Wilbert Harrison's "Kansas City". "Kansas City" was never covered by the Jackson 5, although the band did multiple covers of early hits.
In the Motown audition scene, Berry Gordy was not actually in attendance. Instead, the audition was videotaped and shown to Gordy at a later time.[2]
The Jacksons are shown getting an audition for Motown due to winning a talent show at the Apollo Theatre, and Joseph is touting it as their first signing. In actuality, the group's first recording contract was offered by Steeltown Records, a smaller agency based in their native Gary, Indiana, in 1967. The group had done one audition for Motown and was rejected. Following their moderate success with a couple of single tracks in Steeltown, the Jackson 5 felt confident enough to audition a second time for Motown, after which they were signed. In the film, prior to the Motown debut, Michael is seen in a recording studio, which may have been reference to their early career with Steeltown Records.
In the scene where Michael is seen shooting for the Pepsi commercial which caused his scalp to catch fire, it shows his body rolling down the stairs. In fact he actually walked down the stairs with his hair on fire and later realized and did a one rotation spin (not the usual spin move he did) and shaking his head wildly from the pain. However, the realistic display of Michael's burning was not seen until video leaked after Michael's 2009 death.
The film's depiction of Michael performing "Billie Jean" at the Motown 25 television special, has Jackson wearing his trademark white glove on his right hand. In reality, Michael wore it on his left hand that night. The style of the film's glove is also notably different, compared to the factual one.
The film lists 1959 as Michael's birth. Michael was actually born in 1958.
When the group performs on the Diana Ross special, Michael announces that the song I Want You Back is out on sale everywhere after they perform the song. In reality, Michael announced his statement before the group performed the song.
In the documentary, when the group performed the Star Spangled Banner at the baseball game, they sang it acapella and took place at a regular baseball game with unknown teams. In reality, a marching band accompanied the brothers when they sang the national anthem at Game 1 of the 1970 World Series, which pitted the Cincinnati Reds against the Baltimore Orioles.
In part 1 of the miniseries, they showed the year 1945 as the year Joseph and Katherine Jackson met as teenagers in East Chicago. They actually met two years later in 1947 when Joseph was 19 and Katherine 17.
When five-year-old Michael Jackson is shown singing "Climb Ev'ry Mountain", each Jackson family member, including Joseph, is in attendance. The real life Joseph was actually working overtime in U.S. Steel while Michael performed this. Joseph's father Samuel instead viewed the performance with the family. Joseph wouldn't see his son perform until he began singing with Jermaine during a group rehearsal.
In the scene where Joseph catches son Tito playing his guitar after the string broke, he reportedly whips him with the belt. However, family members and friends differ from what happened; while early Jackson 5 band members such as Milford Hite, claimed Tito was whipped, both Tito and Jermaine denied that the whipping took place that night and that Joseph just threatened to "whip Tito" if he played wrong after Joseph fixed the string.
In the scene after the alleged discipline by Joseph, the four eldest Jackson brothers began singing for Joseph while Michael is rebuffed by his mother. In reality, only Jackie, Tito and Jermaine sang for Joseph. In Katherine's book, she claimed that Michael was the fourth member and that Marlon almost didn't join because Joseph felt Marlon "wasn't talented enough". Katherine eventually convinced Joseph to put Marlon in the group though he reportedly didn't sing for the group until the group signed with Motown. In the early years, he played tambourine with them while Michael played congas.
In the bedroom scene with Jermaine and a groupie, Michael and Marlon are seen hiding in the bed and playing a prank on Jermaine by touching the groupie's leg only to run out of the bedroom when Jermaine catches them. In reality, according to Michael, Jermaine had Michael and Marlon sleeping in the next bed and told them to "pretend" they were sleeping while he and the groupies had sex.
In the scene where Katherine convinces Michael to partake on The Victory Tour, she gives Michael an emotional speech about family; however in biographies on the family, Katherine practically begs Michael to take part in the tour, which he agrees to. Following the tour, Michael left the group in December 1984, with Marlon leaving the following month.

text: Reception[edit]

text: The Jacksons: An American Dream became one of the most popular and successful music-biography miniseries of the 1990s. Part 1 of the miniseries was the third highest-rated program broadcast during the week of November 9–15 with a 21.1 rating.[3] Part 2 of the miniseries was watched by 38.4 million viewers[4] in 22.3 million households[5] becoming the highest-rated program broadcast during the week of November 16–22[5] posting a 23.9 rating, and 36 share.[4] Overall, the miniseries was watched in 38.3 million households and posted a 22.3 rating and 33 share.[6]

text: The series won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Choreography, and was also nominated for Outstanding Individual Achievement in Hairstyling for a Miniseries or a Special, Outstanding Miniseries, and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Miniseries or a Special.

text: Bumper Robinson won a Young Artist Award for Best Young Actor in a Television Movie, and Alex Burrall and Jason Weaver both won a special award for Outstanding Young Performers Starring in a Mini-Series. The miniseries was later rebroadcast on VH1 and released to VHS and DVD. The DVD version of the miniseries was released as a two-disc set. The first disc was named "The Early Years" and the second disc was named "The Success Years". In 2004, VH1 would produce Man in the Mirror: The Michael Jackson Story, which picked up Michael's life from the end of The Jacksons to the present, which at the time included him standing trial on charges of child molestation.

text: The miniseries aired frequently after the death of Michael Jackson. It has been shown on TV One, BET, Centric and VH1.

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text:
The Jacksons: An American DreamSoundtrack album by The Jackson 5Released
September 29, 1992Recorded
1992Genre
Soul, FunkLength
37:51Label
MotownThe Jackson 5 chronology

2300 Jackson Street(1989)2300 Jackson Street1989

"The Jacksons: An American Dream"(1992)

Soulsation!(1995)Soulsation!1995

Singles from The Jacksons: An American Dream

text: Track listing[edit]

text: All songs performed by the Jackson 5 except where noted

text:
"Who's Lovin' You" [Live] - 5:39
Recorded live in Gary, Indiana, May 29, 1971
"Kansas City" (Jason Weaver) - 2:19
"I'll Be There" (Originally on Third Album)- 3:56
"In the Still of the Night" (Boyz II Men) - 2:51
"Walk on/The Love You Save" [Live] - 6:05
Recorded live in Gary, Indiana, May 29, 1971
"I Wanna Be Where You Are" (Jason Weaver) - 4:21
"Dancing Machine" (Originally on G.I.T.: Get It Together) - 3:17
"The Dream Goes On" (Jermaine Jackson) - 3:50
"I Want You Back/ABC" [Live] - 3:23
Recorded live at the Forum, Los Angeles. August 26, 1972 (Later issued in its entirety on Live at the Forum in 2010)
"Stay With Love" (Jermaine Jackson and Syreeta) - 4:19
"Never Can Say Goodbye" (Originally on Maybe Tomorrow)- 2:59
"You Are the Ones (Interlude)" (3T) - 1:51
"Dancing Machine [Remix]" - 3:43

tag: ol

text: Other songs done in the film but not put on the track:

text:
"Climb Every Mountain"
"Money (That's What I Want)"
"Baby I Need Your Loving"
"Where Did Our Love Go"
"Beans, Beans, the Musical Fruit"
"Beat It"